Manufacture of sheets of glass.



PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

I. L. O. WADSWORTH. MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OF GLASS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR PATBNTED SEPT. 5, 1905.

F. L. O. WADSWORTH.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OP GLASS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1903.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m vmm4/ R O m w aw m WITNESSES FRANK L. O. \VAlBlVORliI, ()F;-\LLl*l(llllCNY, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF SHEETS OF GLASS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, ltrufi.

Application filed September 29, 1903. Serial No. 175,028.

To It whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. 0. Res- \YURTH. of Allegheny, in the countyof .'\lle gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in the .llamifacturc of Sheets of Glass, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description. reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich Figure 1 a longitudinal section of apparatus suitably constructedfor the practice of my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of formingrolls having roughened surfaces which may be substituted for the smoothsheet-forming rolls of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatusshown in Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are longitudinal sections illustratingapparatus of modified construction. Fig. 2 is a partial crosssection ofthe table shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows in elevation a forming-rollshaped to produce a sheet of variable section across its width, with atable whose surface is shaped to modify further the section of the glasswithout spreading it laterallv. The purpose of the pattern upon the rollis to deliver to the table a glass sheet in which the glass isdistributed in volume conformable to the pattern intended to be producedupon it by the table. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section of apparatusadapted to produce asheet of variable section longitudinally. Fig. 9 isa longitudinal section of apparatus of modified construction in whichthe forcing of the sheet against the table is effected by a series ofplungers. Fig. 10 is a sectional view illustrating a modification of theplunger shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 11 is a sectional view illustratinganother modification of the apparatus.

In the manufacture of glass sheets it has been found to be difficult andexpensive to shape the face of the sheet by patterning the surface ofthe forming-table on which the glass is rolled, and where the patterndesired is deep or has sharp points or edges it is in most casesimpracticable to form it in this way, because the hot glass soondestroys the pattern on the table, and thus spoils the table for use. Afurther difficulty experienced in such cases is that the heat of theglass causes it to weld to the projecting points of the pattern. so thatwhen it is attempted to remove the sheet the glass will be broken or thepattern marred. I have discovered that these ditliculites may beovercome and figured tables used successfully in the manufacture ofornamentalglass or prism-glass by providing means by which the glass isreduced to sheet form before it is delivered upon the figured tables andwhile it is still plastic and resting on the table forcing it againstthe same by rolling or by pressing, so as to produce the pattern uponits surface.

The invention may be carried out with apparatus of many forms, some ofwhich I have illustrated in the drawings.

in Fig. 1, 2 is the table, and 3 is the carriage adapted to travel alongthe same. On this carriage are two sheet-forming rolls 4 i, to which themolten glass is delivered from ahopper 5, and following the rolls 4 is athird roll 6. As the carriage is drawn along the table the roll 6 isrotated by traction, and by means of intermediate gearing T rotation iscommunicated to the rolls i 4, by which the molten glass is rolled intosheet form and the sheet deposited upon the surface of the table2. Asthe sheet is deposited upon the table it is pressed closely against thepatterned surface thereof by the following roller The glass will havelost a considerable portion of its heat in the act of rolling it into asheet on the rolls 4 4, so that when it comes in contact with the tableand is forced against the same by the following roll 6 it will not besufficiently hot to stick to the table or to injure the surface thereof.1 am enabled in this way to impart intricate patterns to the glass or tomake prism-glass with sharply-dclined and deep angles. This result, sofar as I am aware, has not been accomplished heretofore by methods ofrolling on figured tables. The surfaces of the rolls 4 4 may be plain,as shown in Fig. 1, or may be roughened, as in Fig. 2. The thickness ofthe sheet which is produced by the rolls 4: 4 may be varied and adjustedby adjustingscrews 8 S which act upon the bearings of one of the rollsand may be operated together by a hand-wheel El and aconnecting-sprockct it). The thickness of the sheet delivered to thetable may thus be varied, if desired, during the rolling of the sheet,and a sheet having portions of unequal thickness may thus be produced.here this is done, it is necessary also to move the gearing of the rollsin order to prevent disengagement thereof, and for this purpose Ijournal one of the gears 7 on a hand-lever 11, so that the operator withone hand on the wheel 9 may vary the distance of gearwheel 12.

the table so that the motion of the tablewill' rotate the rolls. Theother roll 4 and the following roll 6 may be driven by a sprocketchain13 from a sprocket on the shaft of the K The roll 4 is preferably hollowand revolves around a vacuum-chamber 14, constructed as described in myapplication Serial No. 160,876, the surface of the roll havingperforations 15, so that as the glass sheet passes from the hopper alongthe roll opposite to the vacuumchamber it is held against the roll byair-pressure, and thus delivered evenly and flatly upon the table. Thetable also may be hollow and provided with perforations extendingthrough the surface-pattern and may be adapted to move over a stationaryplunger 16, which is hollow and communicates with the vacuum apparatus.The plunger 16 is beneath the following roll 6, so that portions of thetable beyond this roller are subjected to the action of the vacuum, andas the glass is forced by the roll against the table the vacuum willhold it in contact therewith and by keeping the patterned surface of theglass in contact with the table during the setting of the glass willinsure perfect results and prevent the blurring of the pattens, whichmight result if the glass were separated from the table before it hadcompletely set.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 5 I show the following roll 6; but theforming-rolls are not shown. This following roll is mounted on acarriage 17, which is held positively against the table by a roller 18,bearingon the under side of'the table. 19 19 are pressure-blocksconnected in flexible series and faced with a steel sheet 19, attachedat one end to the table at 20, thence passing under and around the roll6" and over a pulley 21 to a weight or other yielding device 22. As thecarriage is advanced in the direction of the arrow the roll presses theblocks successively against the glass sheet and the pressure of theblocks in the rear of the roll is maintained upon the glass by portionof the carriage which projects over and in contact with the surface ofthe blocks.

The table shown in Fig. 5 is grooved longitudinally with prism-shapedgrooves, which are further shown in cross-section in Fig. 6.

There the pattern on the surface of the table is irregular in contourand is deeper in some parts than in others, it is desirable that theglass should be distributed so that it shall be greater in volume overthe deeper portions. I can accomplish this, as shown in Fig. 7, bycorrugating the surface of the form ing roll or rolls 4 so as to producea sheet of varying cross-section, the thicker portions extending alongthe sheet directly over the deeper portion of the pattern on the table.When the sheet is then engaged by the fol lowing roll, the thickerportions of the glass will fill the deeper portions of the pattern, anda uniform and properly-distributed sheet will be produced.

The forming-roll shown in Fig. 7 is adapted for a table in which thevarying section ex' tends transversely. Where the varying section of thetable is longitudinal, as in Fig. 8, one of the forming-rolls 4 isprovided with corrugations extending along the length of the roll. Fig.8 also illustrates the manner in which the following roll 6 flattens thesheet and forces the corrugations thereof into the deeper portions ofthe pattern of the table.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 9 the forma steel sheet 24:, as in theapparatus shown in IOO terned surface of the table. As the glass sheetis delivered upon the table it is engaged and pressed against the sameby successively-acting plungers, which may be actuated by air or otherfluid pressure. Each plunger 25 is made hollow and is fitted in themanner of a cylinder upon a hollow piston 26, having at its upper end avalve connection 27 with a fluid-supply pipe 28. As the carriageadvances the operator opens successively the valves of the ports 27, andthe plungers 25 are thereupon forced down into contact with the surfaceof the glass, pressing it firmly against the patterned table. When thesheet has been formed, the plungers 25 may be raised by cutting 03 theconnection of the pipe 28 with the piston 26 and putting the latter intocommunication with the exhaust, whereupon weights 29 will automaticallyraise the plungers above the glass and leave the latter free to beremoved. The ends of the plungers 25 are preferably provided withdetachable faces 30, so that they may be renewed when desired, and thesefaces may either be plain, as shown in Fig. 9, or may be provided with apattern, as shown on two of the plungers in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 11 I show a further modification,

in which 4 represents the sheet-forming rolls, it as it is formed upon atable having a figniounted upon a stationary frame, and 2 is thepatterned table adapted to move thereunder in the direction of thearrow. 6 is the following roll, by which the glass sheet delivered fromthe forming-rolls is pressed against the surface of the table. For thepurpose of holding the sheet upon the table until it has becomeperfectly set I prefer to employ a series of retaining-blocks 31, whichmay be stacked one upon another in an inclined pile on a frame 32, theunder surface of which is elevated somewhat above the table and servesas a pressure-foot. As the table advances, carrying the sheet which hasbeen delivered thereon and has been acted upon by the following roller,the blocks 31 are engaged successively by projections 33 on the tableand are carried under the pressure-foot, each block as it passes makingroom for the block next above, which then drops upon the surface of theglass. As the blocks pass successively beyond the pressure-foot they maybe lifted from the glass and placed again on top of the pile.

I claim 1. The method herein described of making figured glass sheetswhich consists in forming a rough glass sheet out of contact with thetable on which it is finally shaped, delivering ured surface, andforcing it against said figured surface; substantially as described.

2. The method herein described of making figured glass sheets ofconsi(lerably-dill'erent thicknesses at different parts, which consistsin forming a sheet of glass having inequalities of thickness conformingin position and approximate section, to the appropriate portions of thepattern to be produced, and then forcing such pattern upon the glasswith the deeper portions of the pattern in register with the thickerportions of the sheet; substantially as described.

3. The method herein described of making figured glass sheets ofconsiderably-ditferent thicknesses at different parts, which consists infirst forming a sheet of variable cross-sec tional area correspoiulingto the variable thicknesses, and then by pressure religuring the surfaceof the sheet without further spreading of the material laterally;substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK L. O. IVADSIVORTII.

Vitnesses Jonx MILLER, H. M. CORWIN.

